The Cream of the Crooks
by CammieAMorgan
Summary: A stolen painting, a family secret, and a heist that might just make Kat the most famous thief that ever lived. There's only one small problem...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _ **Paris, France**_

When Katarina Bishop was three, she went on her first heist. Her parents took her to the Louvre to case it. That was her first and last heist with her mom. For many years after that Kat has always found a pull to Paris; visiting now and then, always visiting the Louvre but never casing it. Her father, Bobby Bishop, was the same, there was something about casing the Louvre that didn't sit right, it didn't feel the same without Nadia there to help.

As tradition on March 14th, Katarina made her way through the crowds lining up to pay her fee, going in through the front like everyone else. Kat tried not to notice how many security guards were situated around the gallery (12 including one in plain clothes), nor how many cameras were around (30 on a closed network and several hidden in potted plants), what she tried to appreciate was the art. Looking at the paintings through the eyes of the artist, goosebumps appeared on her arm as she thought of the brush strokes. This part of the museum wasn't crowded, the biggest attraction was at the other end of the building, and those who truly appreciated art were in these smaller exhibits.

Kat was aware of everyone in the room. The old man coughing every now and then, fighting off a cold accumulated from a chilling winter.

'You're early' Kat didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking.

'You say that every year' She turned to the man next to her

'You get earlier every year' Bobby Bishop smiled. Kat shrugged, her eyes drifting up to the painting

'I just wish I had more time' She muttered. Bobby placed an arm around her shoulder, giving a slight squeeze.

'Me too' They stayed in comfortable silence. Both of them knowing what to say but neither one of them wanting to say it. _It isn't the same without Mom_. Bobby cleared his throat. 'Should we head round?' He asked. Kat nodded allowing her father to lead her through the museum to what was usually an even quieter room. However, today this room was a hive of activity. There was tape across the door with two security guards blocking the entrance. Her father's hand dropped from around her shoulder, at the same moment Kat felt her heart sink. Something was seriously wrong. As they neared, a man exited the room, dabbing a cloth over his moist forehead. He spoke to the guards in rapid French, then glanced up at us.

'Ah Mr Bishop!' He came towards us.

'What's going on?'

'We are so happy that you have come here once again however there is a slight pr-'

' _What's going on?'_ There are only a few times that Kat had ever seen her father angry, many times he had been in role, playing a part, but her father wasn't acting. Her father was genuine and he wanted answers.

'The...the painting that you have on display..it has been taken' Those words felt like a knife straight to Kat's heart.

'How did this happen?' She asked; although she already knew a 100 ways that it could have been stolen (and that's just using a left shoe and a hair band), she needed to ask the question, and she needed answers.

'We are investigating it as we speak'

'Are you coordinating with Interpol?' She asked. The plump museum director glanced over Kat, wondering how a teenager knew so much but said so little.

'I can assure you that the respective authorities have been notified'

'And when were _we_ going to be notified?' Her father asked

'This has only occurred in the last 24 hours. There were several other paintings that were taken and we're notifying them shortly'

'Which paintings?' Kat asked. Again the director looked over Kat.

'A Picasso, Two Turners, and your mother's Monet' Kat glanced at her father, out of all the artwork that someone could steal from the Louvre, why would they pick these? 'We are working on solving this' The museum director assured. Abruptly Kat and her father turned, leaving the museum, not saying a word to each other. They didn't talk as they made their way through the streets, and they still didn't talk when they were at the airport boarding a plane back to the States. Once the aircraft was airborne, Kat turned to her father and he turned to her.

'This was planned' She said

'I know'

'That Monet isn't one of his greatest and I know that there were _at least_ three Picasso's in there _and_ a Da Vinci as well as a Van Gogh. It seems ridiculous that they weren't taken!'

'I know'

'It was Mom's Monet' Kat's voice finally cracked, the weight of what occurred taking its toll on her.

'I know' Kat's father wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close, soothing her.

 **Author's note: New story! I've decided to give the _Heist Society_ series another go. I hope that you all enjoy my 16th story! xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

_**9 hours after the painting went missing**_

 _ **Manhattan, New York**_

News had broken that the Louvre had been broken into, it had travelled faster than Kat and her Dad. As they touched down in JFK there were already newspapers sprawled with the headlines wondering how this could have happened, who was responsible and why didn't they take the Mona Lisa.

Kat had pondered these questions all the way back to Uncle Eddie's townhouse. The house, as per usual was warm and cozy, the fresh smell of bread enveloped Kat as soon as she stepped inside. There was chatter coming from the kitchen, the sound of cutlery scraping on bowls and plates.

Kat drifted towards the hub of the house, the place where many heists were planned, family feuds were fought and food was shared. This was one of the only places Kat could truly call home. And when she turned to corner she saw the people that made it home. Uncle Eddie was sat as his usual place at the head of the table, Gabby, Simon and the Banshaw brothers were sat around him, sat in their usual places. There was also another addition to the table, one that the family have accepted over the years and to this day is the only person that Kat stole. W.W. Hale the fifth sat in Kat's usual place, his sleeves rolled up and tucking into the fresh soup and bread.

'Hey Kitty' Gabby smiled at them 'Hey Uncle Bobby'

'Hello Gabrielle, how's your mother?' Bobby asked. Gabby rolled her eyes

'She's will a Duke or a Lord somewhere' She ripped off a piece of bread 'I've been invited for Easter'

'How was Paris?' Hale asked. Kat glanced at her father, he remained calm, moving around to the stove and getting two bowls out, ladling the soup. Kat's eyes remained focused on her father, she'd seen him do this routine many times, ladling his food and hers, yet there was the secret hanging over both of them and Kat wanted to share it. Everyone was aware of the silence, thieves are always aware when moments are too quiet, and this was one of them. Eddie being Uncle Eddie ignored the silence and dropped a copy of this morning's _New York Times_. The headline and the photo standing out.

'I thought you couldn't do it' He commented.

'We didn't' Kat muttered, Bobby handing her a bowl, both of them sitting in the two vacant seats. Everyone stopped. Kat and her father began to eat, a realisation that neither of them had had any food since leaving Paris.

'What was taken?' Hale asked. Kat looked up at him, swallowing a lump of bread, then her eyes skipped down the table to look at the man at the head. Kat watched as the man who barely was surprised began to transform, his eyes widening and his spoon dropping.

'No…' He whispered. Kat looked away and back at her father. Bobby sat back in his chair.

'They have no leads. A Picasso was taken, two Turner's and the Monet'

'Aunt Nadia's Monet?' Gabby gasped. Kat nodded. 'Oh Kat! I'm so sorry'

'Wait' Hale began 'You put a painting in a museum?' He raised his eyebrow and smiled, almost not believing what he heard.

'It was my mom's favourite Monet and her favourite museum...She wouldn't have wanted it any other way' Kat gave a faint smile. Although she didn't have many memories of her mom, she could still recall several of her likes and dislikes.

'So who stole it?' Eddie asked

'It wasn't us!' Gabby, Simon, and the brothers said automatically. Kat smiled.

'So who could it have been?' Bobby asked. Simon reached for his laptop and began typing away. Everyone waited on tenterhooks...everyone except Gabby.

'Well?' She snapped.

'There doesn't seem to be anyone boasting about the Louvre job on the dark web, and none of the paintings appear to be getting sold'

'What about the museum, are there any clues as to what happened?' Kat asked. Simon began to type away again.

'The cameras were down and they were on a closed feed. It was a scheduled maintenance and they tested the alarm system. If someone got on the inside, all they had to do was wait and then they'd have the whole museum to themselves. They'd probably have been able to gain access to anything they wanted'

'So why would they steal these?' Angus asked. Kat was already trying to answer that question. Wondering with the information that Simon provided, her brain already ticking overtime. Everything seemed to familiar, right down to the amount of paintings that were taken...

 **Author's note: Decided to upload twice today. I've been so excited to share this story! Very different style to how I usually write xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

_**12 hours after the paintings went missing**_

 _ **Time Square, New York**_

There are many rules that thieves like Kat have; one is to never con an honest person, two is to never get caught, three is to lie whenever you have to, four is to tell the truth when you have to, and five, there is always more to a heist than meets the eye.

Perhaps the last rule is what motivated Kat to come to the the busiest place in the whole of New York, she watched as pickpockets made their way through the unsuspecting crowd, tourists gawking in awe of the sights before them. Kat gave a small smile, sure this is the New York that everyone sees, but not the New York everyone knows. Kat can recall a coffee shop three blocks away that serves the best cake she has ever tasted, and its opposite a gallery for up and coming artists. Yet instead of hiding in the shadows and back alleys, she was here in the middle of Time Square listening to the roar of the engines and honking of horns.

'I was surprised to get a call from you' Amelia removed her dark rimmed glasses and stood next to Kat.

'Have you heard about the Louvre?' Kat asked. Amelia raised her eyebrow

'Is this a confession?'

'No' Kat shook her head 'I don't do the Louvre' Maybe Amelia wanted to know why Kat wouldn't go that far, maybe she didn't.

'What can I do for you, Miss Bishop?'

'I need to know everything you know about the break in' Kat said quickly

'Why?'

'Because my mother's Monet was the one stolen' Amelia did not react, she simply took a sip of her coffee, pausing to think.

'I'm afraid I cannot give any information of an ongoing case'

'Amelia please' Kat begged 'You said yourself that there were times we worked on the same side, and right now is one of those times' Kat studied the woman 'It's one of the only memories I have of her...I need to find it' Kat was not ready to go down without a fight, and if she couldn't do it the honest way, then she was going to do it the thief way.

'We don't know much' Amelia began 'As you would expect, there were no fingerprints left, no CCTV and no signs of foul play. It is an unusual case but it was flagged up to be _very_ similar to a case not too long ago'

'Which case?' Kat asked, her heart hammering in anticipation. Amelia took another sip of her coffee, studying the area around the two of them to make sure no one was listening in.

'Henley' Amelia said simply

'That's impossible!' Kat exclaimed

'Not necessarily. There have been many copycat cases over the years, you yourself have mentioned many names of many different heists from over the years, some just end up more public than others. And let's not forget that _Romani_ is a name that's been around for hundreds of years'

'Is he behind this?'

'His calling card was not present therefore it's highly unlikely he was involved. But not impossible. I'm afraid that is all I can give you, Kat'

'Thank you, all of it was helpful'

'Dare I ask what you are planning?'

'I return stolen items to their original owners. I'm going to do the same' Kat began to walk away

'Kat' Amelia called after her. Kat turned and saw Interpol's finest giving her a sympathetic and slightly worried look 'Perhaps you should leave it to the authorities on this one'

'Why?' Kat asked defensively. The other woman chuckled

'You've chosen to meet in an _extremely_ public place. Come on Kat, you aren't focused, and that will get you in trouble' Kat watched as Amelia disappeared into the crowd. Kat glanced around, seeing how many security camera were around; _too many_. Amelia was right...this was too public, too easy to be seen, not what you would expect from a professional like Kat.

'Well?' Hale appeared next to Kat 'Did she say anything?'

'I thought it seemed familiar' Kat muttered, shaking her head. She turned back to Hale 'Someone copied our Henley job'

'Are you serious? Isn't there like a law that means you can't copy a heist?' He asked. Kat rolled her eyes and began to move towards the subway.

'Have you ever heard of honour amongst thieves?'

'Well yes. I heard about it in stories'

'Exactly' Kat stopped and spun on Hale. 'Stories. Honour amongst thieves is a concept. But there isn't honour. There is _respect_ and _admiration_ , but no honour. A heist is a heist at the end of the day, and it's everyone's game'

'So what are we going to do now?' He asked. Kat contemplated for a moment. She looked back over Time Square. The street was still busy, but Kat was looking at it through the eye of a tourist. The spectacle _had_ to be seen. These people would have planned to come here; they worked out which route to take and what they wanted to see. Some might even have a checklist. Ticking off once they accomplished their goal.

'We're going to go back to the Henley'

'Are you mad?' Hale questioned. Kat shook her head.

'If someone copied the Henley job, clearly they had to _ask_ about the Henley job'

'But no one apart from your family knows how we got the paintings out'

'Look' Kat stopped again, causing people to bump into them and try to get around 'Going to the Henley has to be the first step. We need to see if we can find something, _anything_ '

'And what if we don't?' Kat was afraid of Hale's question; purely because she'd been thinking the same thing.

'Then we think of something else'

 **Author's note: Next chapter will be Saturday xxx**

 **tumblrandfandoms: Thank you so much! xxx**

 **GallagherGirlsEmbassyRowFan: Yeah, this is very different to how I usually write. I think this series is a lot easier to write from a 3rd person perspective similarly to how the books are done. Aww bless you so much! Literally I'm so excited for this story because of how different it actually is. I think I've nailed the characters a lot better than I did in my other Heist Society story. Hopefully this will be weekly! xxx**

 **4EverAGallagherGirl: Thank you so much! This is such a different experience compared to all my Gallagher Girl stories xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

_**2 days after the paintings went missing**_

 _ **London, England**_

It is undeniable that London is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is a capital that has been through it's far share of up and downs. The structure and heart of the city dates back all the way to medieval times, evolving continuously, growing exponentially.

'This is a bad idea' Hale commented. The museum was still as busy as Kat remembered, if not busier. There were at least three different schools here; the children all paired up and following each other like the current.

'This is the only idea I have right now' Kat commented. It wasn't completely true, Kat had thought of several ideas in fact, but none of them were possible in the time frame that they had.

'What if we get recognised?'

'That's what I'm hoping for' Kat said. She strolled confidently into the entrance of the museum. The high ceilings flooded the room with light.

'I count 3 new cameras' Hale whispered

'Actually it's 5' Kat countered. 'They've put on on top of the fountain'

Hale whistled

'This is impressive' He admired

'Too impressive for a museum curator like him' Kat nodded towards the museum director Gregory Wainwright scurrying across the room.

'So what are you thinking?' Hale looked at his companion with a raised eyebrow. Kat chewed the inside of her lip, she watched as the curator (who was in deep discussion with a someone) picked up his phone, answered it and briskly walked away.

'I'm thinking that someone else is pulling the strings in this operation'

'And what gives you that impression?' Hale wondered

'For starters, the upgrade in security is understandable after a robbery, however museums try to make it _known_ that you're being watched, and hiding cameras is something you do if your paranoid or very cautious' Kat subtly pointed to the person the curator was just talking to 'Also, would you walk away from a conversation with a member of the museum board of directors to answer a phone call?' she matched Hale's raised eyebrow with her own

'Interesting theory' He nodded, impressed.

'It's the only theory I have at the moment' She sighed. It was unusual for Kat to feel so lost. She hates feeling as though she was on the outside, or if she was a step behind.

'What's the plan kitty Kat?' He asked. Kat spun around the room, taking everything in. Then the idea hit her.

'How quickly can we get the others here?' She asked.

'Why?' Hale didn't like where this was going.

'Because we're going to case the Henley'

'Why would we case this place _again_? You told me that good thieves never case the same place too often. If we do this, then it's the second time in four years, Kat!'

'It'll be fine Hale, trust me'

 **Eight hours later**

Kat felt as though she was having a string of bad luck recently. The Banshaws were occupied and couldn't make it. Gabby managed to make it (despite having the journey from hell which included being detained at the airport for 2 hours because her hair clip set off the metal detectors), Simon was in London for his stop over flight to Dubai; he appeared at the hotel door wearing sunglasses and a hat.

'You do know that it's 5 degrees celsius outside?' Hale raised his eyebrow.

'Oh...I..k-know' Simon shivered. He stepped into the room and immediately grabbed one of the complimentary plush robes. He sighed in relief. 'I was meant to be on my way to hot desert'

'Yet you'd be spending most of your time in the shade with factor 50 suncream on' Gabby said from one of the chairs.

'You're probably right' Simon sighed 'So, what am I doing here?' Kat looked at Hale and Hale looked right back at her.

'This is your crazy idea' He said. Kat rolled her eyes.

'Can you think of anything better?' She replied.

'Ohh, mommy and daddy are fighting' Gabby whispered. Kat and Hale both glared at her. Gabby held her hands up in defense. 'Just spit out whatever you called me here for'

'We're going to case the Henley' Kat said.

'Are you mad?' Gabby hissed 'Have you _actually_ lost your mind!'

'Gabby…' Simon warned

'No, I don't care what Eddie said, she's being ridiculous! Trying to case the same place twice is something _we don't do_ '

'Wait' Kat interrupted 'What _did_ Eddie say?'

Gabby looked at Simon, Simon look at Hale and Hale looked like he hated what he was about to say.

'Hale?' Kat's voice broke slightly

'Eddie said that we need to look out for you. He remembers what it was like when you lost your mom and by losing the painting, it's as if you're losing her a second time'

Kat took a moment to process what she was hearing. Her whole family were worried that she was going to take a downward spiral.

'Look, I love you Kitty and I'd follow you to the moon and back, but I _will not_ let you do this to yourself' Gabby stood up and held her cousin's hand. 'Tomorrow morning, we'll go to the Henley and we'll have a look around and that's all. Got it?'

'Bu-'

'Got it?' Gabby squeezed Kat's hand lightly. Kat sighed, knowing wholeheartedly that this was a losing battle. Kat nodded reluctantly.

'Kat's suspicious of our old friend Gregory Wainwright' Hale said, trying to divert the conversation.

'The director? How is he still there _after_ what we did?' Gabby glared

'We think that someone else is pulling the strings, keeping him in position for something else'

'What do you mean?' Simon asked

'Well, for starters, the security has almost doubled, some of the cameras have been hidden. The whole place has been transformed so subtly that only a trained profession like ourselves would notice' Hale said. Gabby tilted her head.

'I wouldn't call _you_ a professional just yet, Hale' Gabby teased.

'You had no complaints about my professionalism when I helped you in Budapest' Hale reminded her.

'Oh no' Simon whispered

'Oh no, _what?_ ' Kat asked.

'Gregory Wainwright's bank account has had some very interesting activity in the last 18 months'

'Like?' Kat prompted

'He's been getting a 5 figure sum every month on top of his salary'

'So is he getting bribed?' Gabby wondered

'But for what?' Kat countered 'What has he done to deserve this money?'

'That's what we'll find out tomorrow' Hale said 'But right now, you are going to bed'

'I need to plan tomorrow, our objectives and-'

'Kat, breathe' Hale held onto Kat's shoulders. 'Stop worrying so much. Let me plan it for once' Kat stared back into his eyes trying to see if he was conning her. He wasn't.

 **Author's note: Apologies for the late update. I've had to work the last two weekends doing quite long shifts and I've just been drained by the time I got home. So sorry! To make up for it, I'm doing a double upload today so will reply to comments on the next chapter xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

_**3 days after the paintings went missing**_

When Gregory Wainwright woke up in his home that morning, he had his usual breakfast of oatmeal with honey and a cup of strong black coffee. When he arrived at work, he parked his car in his allocated spot, picked up his tanned leather briefcase and strolled into his office. He sat down at his desk and looked through his emails. Most of them were from artists wanting a chance to showcase their work, others were from spam emails; there was one that caught his eye. It was a promotion for half price entry into the gallery but only for today. Gregory thought that the Board of Directors came up with this idea and just forgot to tell him. He looked up at his clock watching the minute hand tick all the way around until it was pointing straight up. It was now 10 am...time to begin the day.

Katarina Bishop strolled into the gallery and headed towards the admissions desk. The man sitting behind the desk was the same as yesterday. She smiled at him as she approached.

'One adult please' She said sweetly. The guy looked up at her

'You were here yesterday, weren't you?'

'I was. I don't get a chance to come and enjoy museums properly'

'Oh? What do you do?'

'Freelance. I travel a lot'

'Well, I hope you enjoy your visit' He handed over his ticked and added a wink for good measure. Kat felt a blush creeping up her neck. It could be from the compliment, or it could be fact that Hale was a few places behind and could hear and see _everything_.

Kat muttered a small thanks before making her way into the museum.

Kat made her way through the museum trying to remember her initial thoughts on her first visit. Last time she was trying to save her father's name, this time she's trying to save her own.

'This is not what I expected' Kat heard Gabby mutter. Her cousin was the otherside of the room and gave her a worried look. Kat took a deep breath, trying not to let her thoughts get the better of her.

'What's the plan, Hale?' Kat asked

'Gabby, your going to get Simon into a place where he can access the security feed'

'Got it' She replied

'I'm going to distract the director'

'And what do I do?' Kat asked. She glanced around the room and made eye contact with Hale.

'Stay here and look pretty' He didn't laugh, there was no hint of a smirk, he was serious.

'Hale…' Kat glared

'Look at the art Kitty, you might find something that catches your eye' He gave a small smirk. Kat balled her hands into fists by her side, she turned away from Hale feeling a wave of tears prick the back of her eyes. She felt someone nudge her shoulder, she turned slightly and saw that Hale was standing right next to her.

'Come with me' Hale whispered, he had his earpiece in his hand, meaning that what he was going to say was for her ears only. Kat followed a few paces behind. Hale confidently strolled through the gallery into a quiet corner. He proceeded to open the cleaning cupboard and beckon Kat inside. He shut the door behind her, plunging them into darkness.

'Kat I'm sorry, but this is too personal to you and I can't risk you getting hurt'

'So what am I meant to do, Hale? I can't just _look at the art_ , not now, not when there's so much at stake'

'I know that there's a lot at stake' Hale placed his hands on Kat's arms 'But I can't risk losing you again' His voice was barely a whisper, yet it cut through Kat like a knife.

'I need to do something, I can't just stop doing what I do'

'Then trust me. Let me take control for once. Have a look around the museum and see if there's anything I've missed or could be useful, but please, _please_ stay out of this?'

'Hale…' She sighed

'Please don't make me lock you in here' He half joked. Kat nodded, finally admitting defeat. One of Hale's hands moved to cup her face, his thumb traced her cheek.

'I promise that I'll do everything I can do to get your mother's Monet back'

'I know you will' Kat gave a weak smile. Hale smiled back. He leant in and planted, a sweet, mellow kiss on her lips. Kat placed her hand on Hale's chest, feeling the expensive suit beneath her fingers. When they pulled apart Kat gave a small chuckle.

'Was it bad?' Hale teased. Kat shook her head.

'No, it's just the last time I was here, I was kissing Nick'

'Oh I remember' Hale grumbled 'I had to bloody watch'

Kat chuckled and placed a kiss on Hale's nose.

'Okay. I won't get involved' She said. Hale smiled

'Promise?'

'Promise' Hale gave Kat another quick kiss before exiting the cupboard. Kat hovered back for a little bit. She didn't like this plan, but she had no choice, she had to go along with it.

'Have mommy and daddy made up now?' Gabby teased once Kat's earpiece was put back in.

'Bite me' Kat hissed.

'I'll leave that to Hale' Gabby quipped quickly.

'Claws away you two' Simon said 'Now Gabby, I can't see you and I really need to find access the security feed soon'

'Fine' Gabby sighed 'Meet me in the blue room'

While this was going on, Kat wandered aimlessly around the museum, feeling as useless as a spare part. The paintings were beautiful, yes, but Kat didn't see them for their beauty, but for their value. With each painting she thought about how much she'd be able to sell it for and how exactly she would steal them.

'Amazing, aren't they?' Kat jumped at the voice, she turned to see Amelia standing next to her.

'How di-'

'I thought I told you to stay away, Miss Bishop' Kat realised immediately that Amelia wasn't here as a friend like she had been in Time Square, but was here as an Interpol agent.

'I was-'

'I suggest you leave _and_ round up whoever is here with you before things get messy'

'What are you doing here?' Kat asked.

'Official business. Now take my advice and _go_ ' With that, Amelia turned on her heels and walked towards a group of men in suits.

'Interpol' Kat whispered to herself. Her brain was already working on overdrive. Why were they here? Why was Amelia so insistent that she left?

'We need to go' Kat said into her comms

'But I was just getting set up' Simon wined

'Interpol are here. We need to go' Kat was already looking for everyone else. Suddenly the alarms started ringing and the lights flickered. Amelia looked back at Kat.

'Simon, please tell me that was you' Kat whispered

'That wasn't me' He replied slightly panicked

'So who was it then?' Hale asked

'Now isn't the time to ponder it, you heard Kat, we need to go!' Gabby snapped. Kat shook herself back to the present and began to follow the crowd towards the nearest exit. She scanned the area trying to see the others, but she couldn't.

'Meet back at the hotel' Hale's voice came through the comms, almost as if he could read Kat's thoughts. Kat glanced round once more and her eyes found a tall figure with raven hair who was looking directly at her. He looked familiar somehow. Kat couldn't question it for long, the man smirking like he'd won...but what?

 **Author's note: Ohhh things are getting complicated for Kat now. Now, onto the comments xxx**

 **GallagherGirlsEmbassyRowFan: They didn't get a chance to find anything in the Henley...what happened to stop them? There's nothing suspicious about Gabby, I can guarantee that you can trust her. Glad you are enjoying this xxx**

 **i11Hh: Thank you xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

'That was a disaster!' Gabby exclaimed slumping into one of the plush armchairs after kicking off her shoes.

'What did Amelia say to you?' Hale asked, he was nursing a whiskey. He no longer had his blazer on, his tip button was undone and his silk tie was loose.

'She told me to get out before things got messy' Kat replied

'What _things_?'

'I don't know. But she was on _official business_. This isn't a coincidence that a few days after the paintings were taken from the Louvre that they're now investigating similar crimes. _Our_ crime specifically'

'But we didn't do it!' Gabby emphasised

'We know that, Amelia knows that, but Interpol doesn't. And if suddenly Amelia shuts down this line of enquiry, then it'll look suspicious' For the first time all day, Kat could think clearly. She knew that Amelia was there to do her job, but the fact that she knew the truth made it all the more important.

'What if Amelia's double crossing us?' Simon asked

'She's not' Kat snapped

'It's a possibility' Gabby shrugged in agreement 'I mean she knows everything about us, what if one day she flips the switch and rats us out'

' _She wouldn't_ ' Kat hissed. Gabby held her hands up

' _Agent Amelia_ has no loyalties to us Kitty. _Blood's thicker than water_ and all that crap'

'She wouldn't rat us out!' Kat shouted. It was very rarely that she lost her temper with her cousin or any member of her family for that matter, but right now Kat was livid.

'Why don't you get some rest?' Hale suggested, trying to defuse the tension 'We'll think about it in the morning'

'Your plan wouldn't have worked' Kat snapped 'The director wouldn't have given you the time of day and Simon wouldn't have been able to access the cameras for longer than 10 minutes before the alarm went off'

'And when were you going to mention this?' Hale narrowed his brows. Kat shrugged, she was pissed off at everyone and she didn't care if Hale got added to the list.

'It was obvious just by looking at the blueprints; the whole museum's feed was changed into three separate networks all running simultaneously, when one goes down then the others try to fix the problem, if not then an alert gets sent to every security staff via their smart watches, _which all of them were wearing_. And judging by Mr Wainwright's inbox, he doesn't have the time, nor the patience to deal with the elite like you anymore'

'Why didn't you say anything?' Hale's voice was full of thunder. Kat just shrugged again.

'You said that I should trust you' Kat said plainly.

'And I thought you were professional' He retorted. Kat's jaw gaped open slightly. She had been called many things in her life, but _unprofessional_ was not one. Hale downed his whiskey and then stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

'You're in trouble' Gabby sung. Kat glared at her before storming into her own room and slamming the door as well.

Kat slumped against the door. Closing her eyes and instantly feeling bad for what she said. Yes, in hindsight she should have shared all her information with Hale, but he wanted to plan it on his own, and sometimes you just have to learn on your own.

When Kat opened her eyes, she saw that there was a small package on her bed that hadn't been there when she left this morning. She knew that it wouldn't of been placed in her by a member of staff, nor was it formally delivered otherwise Marcus, Hale's trustworthy and loyal butler, would have mentioned it. Kat tentatively made her way over to it. It was a standard cardboard box with a small card on it. Her stomach dropped and her heart raced.

 _It wasn't me, but hopefully this will get you prepared._

 _Romani._

Kat studied the note. Romani hadn't stolen the paintings. Romani knew where she was. Romani wanted to help. She opened the box, inside where all the schematics and blueprints of the Henley. Just as she had suspected, the security had almost doubled. There were security guards placed at every entrance and exit, there were cameras positioned on every door and the ceilings had all been renovated meaning that from just looking, you wouldn't be able to tell where the air ducts were.

There was also the blueprints for the Louvre (which Kat had previously memorised off my heart on one particular snowy day in New York) and a planning permission slip for renovations almost exactly the same as the Henley.

'Something's wrong' Kat thought out loud. She delved further into the box and was surprised to see two official Interpol files. One was written following the Henley Heist and the other was from the most recent Louvre Heist. As Kat began to read, she found a few similarities...

In the Henley's report; _An alarm was triggered from part of the building which caused an evacuation procedure, the cameras went down at the same time. It is impossible to determine the point of entry into the room where the paintings were stolen. The thief would not have been able to carry all of those paintings and take_ 'The Angel' _without help. There was a group of school children left in one of the rooms...and an individual in another. When the lead detective came to interview, the suspects appeared to have vanished_.

And in the Louvre report: _An alarm was triggered during the nightshift which caused an evacuation procedure, the cameras were already down for maintenance (as shown in the log). It is impossible to determine the point of entry into the room where the paintings were stolen however the thief must have remained in the building after the lock down. As these paintings are of great value and weight - it is believed that we are looking for more than one suspect. Unlike the Henley, there was nobody left behind._

Kat pondered these two near identical statements. They were three years apart, a lot of crimes had been committed in between these two statements being published, yet the Louvre wrote _Unlike the Henley_ meaning that Interpol suspect it was done by the same people.

Then Kat examined another section of the Louvre report; _One of the paintings was a Monet displayed by_ The Bishop _family. Mr R. Bishop has been a collector of art for several decades, he was investigated by Interpol for having connections to a robbery in which several paintings were taken. He was cleared and no charges were pressed._

Kat read on.

 _Mr R. Bishop visits_ The Louvre _rarely, he is known for coming once a year with his daughter Katarina Bishop. There is not much information available to the police about Miss K. Bishop, but from a trustworthy and valid source, we now know that Katarina Bishop was at the Henley._

Kat couldn't believe what she'd read. Her heart was pounding and she felt a cold sweat break out all over. Yet she continued.

 _Miss K. Bishop attended Kingsbury school, however the police have not been able to contact them. She does not have a permanent address, although she has lived in the US, Russia, France, England and Italy on and off for much of her life. It is unclear how she has accumulated this lifestyle nor is it clear about how her family acquired this rare piece of art._

 _Miss K. Bishop was seen in Monaco during the Cleopatra Emerald Exhibition and again during the Hale Industries drama. She has been linked to the heir to the Hale industries Empire_ W.W. Hale V. _He too was at the Henley although he was evacuated when the alarms went off._

 _Katarina Bishop is now a person of interest._

Katarina felt the tears springing. This was not what she wanted. ' _A thief that is known is as good as dead_ ' As Uncle Eddie had said many times in her life. She couldn't understand how she had become a person of interest when it was _her_ painting that had been taken. She also couldn't understand how the police knew so much about her. She looked back at the report, seeing if she could find any clues; then she found it. _There is not much information available to the police about Miss K. Bishop, but from a trustworthy and valid source…_ Kat read this line over and over again, picking it apart meticulously. _From a trustworthy and valid source._

'Kat?' There was a knock on her door. It was Hale 'Can we talk? I want to apolo-'

'Hale' Kat's voice sounded unfamiliar, it was like a wounded animal. Hale came into the room with a worried look.

'Is everything okay?' He asked. Kat cleared her throat, trying to not show how worried she was 'How long will it take for Marcus to get your jet ready?'

'Depends on where you want to go. If it's a short-'

'It's a long haul flight'

'Then two, maybe three hours' Hale answered

'If you make it one, then I'll love you forever' She said. Hale stared at the file in her hand.

'What's going on Kat?' Hale asked. Kat handed him the file. She observed as Hale's eyes scanned the ink, his brain soaking and processing the words. She watched as his eyes widened with fear. Kat hung her head, she felt her heart sink just a little

'I think it's time a family meeting'

 **Author's note: The Henley was only the beginning...who knows this much about Kat and her family? xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

_**3 days after the paintings went missing**_

 _ **Manhattan, New York**_

In Katarina's lifetime, she can remember being called to only two family meetings; one was when the family had to think of a way to help the Bagshaw brothers avoid jail time (they ended up with an idea that involved a mahogany dining table and a beehive), the other time was when Kat's mom died, and funeral arrangements had to be made.

Presently, standing in Uncle Eddie's kitchen with everyone standing around, Kat felt the same uncertainty that she felt all those years ago. Eddie and Charlie were sitting on opposite sides of the table, they acknowledged each other with a simple nod of their heads. The Banshaws had rushed back from a job they were doing on the Indian Ocean (which involved stealing a submarine) when they got the call. Kat's father Bobby had come back from God knows where the second he heard Hale's worried tone on the phone. Even the infamous Irina managed to take time away from whichever admirer she was dealing with this week.

'Well, what's happened?' Eddie asked. Everyone looked at Kat. She placed her hand in her pocket and picked out the little piece of card that some would call a blessing or a curse. She threw it onto the centre of the table. Her father picked it up. He raised a single eyebrow.

' _It wasn't me, but hopefully, this will get you prepared. Romani.'_ Bobby threw it back onto the table.

'So it wasn't him. Is that all?' Eddie asked.

'Not quite' Hale said turning to Kat and giving her a small nod of encouragement. Kat took a deep breath. She went into her bag and picked out the two files. She placed them on the table.

Eddie looked at Bobby, Bobby looked at Kat.

'What are these?' He asked

'Interpol reports on the Henley and the Louvre' Kat picked one up and began to read.

' _An alarm was triggered during the nightshift which caused an evacuation procedure, the cameras were already down for maintenance (as shown in the log). It is impossible to determine the point of entry into the room where the paintings were stolen however the thief must have remained in the building after the lockdown. As these paintings are of great value and weight - it is believed that we are looking for more than one suspect._ '

'We know that' Angus said, 'That's what we did at the Henley'

Hale shook his head 'That was from the Louvre report' He informed them. The air in the room changed. Everyone was on edge. Kat continued to read.

' _Unlike the Henley, there was nobody left behind_ ' She looked up at Hale, he nodded once more.

' _One of the paintings was a Monet displayed by_ The Bishop _family. Mr R. Bishop...was investigated by Interpol...He was cleared and no charges were pressed.'_ Kat paused once again, delaying the worst news she could say.

'Is that why we're here?' Bobby was trying not to let his smile show, he knew his daughter worried sometimes, but to call a family meeting seemed excessive. 'Katarina, sweetie, obviously Interpol would be suspicious of me. They're only doing their job'

'That isn't the worst part' Kat whispered. Bobby's smile disappeared. Kat took a deep breath before continuing.

' _There is not much information available to the police about Miss K. Bishop, but from a trustworthy and valid source, we now know that Katarina Bishop was at the Henley. Miss K. Bishop attended Kingsbury school, however, the police have not been able to contact them. She does not have a permanent address, although she has lived in the US, Russia, France, England and Italy on and off for much of her life. It is unclear how she has accumulated this lifestyle nor is it clear about how her family acquired this rare piece of art. Miss K. Bishop was seen in Monaco during the Cleopatra Emerald Exhibition and again during the Hale Industries drama...Katarina Bishop is now a person of interest.'_ Kat put her paper on the table. The silence around everyone was eerie.

'Say something' She begged her father. Bobby's face was unreadable. Kat turned to Eddie 'Please' Eddie took a deep, long sigh, he was pondering what to say and which would be the best way to put it.

'What does your dear friend Amelia think about all of this?' Eddie asked.

'She was at the Henley and she told us to get out before things get messy'

'What things?' Hamish asked

'We don't know' Gabby answered 'We were in the building for less than an hour and it all got evacuated'

'Did she write this report?' Eddie asked. Kat shook her head.

'I still think we can't trust her' Gabby grumbled. Kat glared at her.

'Easy girls' Irina said.

'What should we do Eddie?' Hale asked. Eddie once again thought for a moment.

'Where did they get the information from?' Bobby spoke for the first time. The eyes in the room shifted from one of the oldest and wisest men in the room to probably the smartest. ' _from a trustworthy and valid source,'_ He repeated. 'Who knows this much about you that they've gone to Interpol'

'The people in this room' Kat said

'And Amelia _and_ Nick' Gabby added

'They wouldn't do this' Kat snapped

'How do you know?' Eddie asked 'Can you tell me honestly, Katarina that Nick, the boy who once tricked you, wouldn't seize that opportunity again?'

'I know who I can trust' Kat hissed defensively

'Then why aren't they here?' He pointed out 'They know this place, they know the case. Face it, Katarina, deep down you know that you can't trust them'

'If you all aren't going to trust me, then I'll do it my way' Kat turned abruptly and left the room. The others waited, then they heard the door slam.

Hale ran his hands through his hair.

'What do we do?' He asked the group. The Banshaws looked at one another not knowing what to say. Gabby bit her lip nervously and Simon twiddled his thumbs. The adults, on the other hand, all looked at each other, sharing the same look.

'We protect her' Eddie said 'If she's known, it's a matter of time before someone comes looking'

Bobby turned to Hale.

'Firstly, you need to find Nick. Find him before Kat does'

'And what do we do when we find him?' Gabby asked.

'Steal him'

 **Author's note: I'm back! Glad that I've got a sort of schedule going so I can be more consistent with my uploads. Check out my profile for the next upload date xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

**4 days after the paintings were taken**

 _ **Paris, France**_

Kat knew the moment that she slammed the door on her family that things were not going to be easy, and she also knew in that moment that she was about to do something stupid. _Extremely stupid_.

On a heist, it's best to interact with as little people as possible. If you spend too long with someone, you become imprinted on their brain. The way you walk, the colour of your eyes, the words that you say all become noticable. This is the worst thing for a thief to do. Then once a heist is over, you need to get out as fast as you can and not look back.

Kat pondered this life lesson on the plane to France. She knew that she was being stupid to return to the Louvre, especially since she was now a person of interest. However, Kat was also thinking of the person she saw at the Henley, the tall figure who seemed oblivious to the crowd rushing to the exit and smiled directly at Kat. Their exchange was only brief, but long enough for Kat to remember details about him. His eye colour (Hazel), his hair (cropped raven), his height (5 ft 7") and she could also tell that he was left handed because of how his suit jacket hung.

Now, if Kat had got a good look at him...what's the chances that _he_ got a good look at her...but judging from the smile on his face, he already knew about Kat. And that worried her even more.

What Kat _didn't know_ was why she didn't share this information with her family. She hadn't even told Hale that she saw someone looking at her. So far Kat had been withholding information from the only people that would follow her to the ends of the Earth if she asked them to. She knew she was screwing this up, but part of her didn't care. And once again, she had something else to add to her list of worries.

Katarina stood on the outskirts of the crowd who were held back with tape. Interpol had taken over the museum and had shut a whole wing off. There were no announcements and no information, thus a crowd formed out of curiosity, hoping to look inside. Kat didn't have much interest, she knew what was on the other side; a room with 5 empty spaces missing 5 paintings.

'You have some guts coming back here' Someone whispered by her side. Kat smiled but did not look at her companion.

'It's good to see you too, Nick' She said.

'I was surprised to receive a call from you, Kat. Considering what has happened recently.'

'I needed to talk to you' Kat turned to Nick 'I saw your mom at the Henley'

'I know. She couldn't believe you were there and _I_ can't believe that you're here' He studied her carefully 'What are you doing here, Kat?'

'Like I said, I needed to talk to you and your mom. Is she here?'

'She's at work at the moment, but she should be back later'

'Okay' Kat sighed, it would be a matter of time before her family worked out where she was and then came to get her. She needed to work fast.

'Where is everybody, Kat?' Nick asked as if he could read her thoughts 'Where's Hale? Gabby? Your dad?'

'Hopefully still in New York' She put bluntly. Nick raised his eyebrow at her

'Going solo again?' He chuckled 'That didn't work the first time; you ended up in a boarding school didn't you?'

'I tried to steal a normal life' She shrugged 'Not all heists go to plan'

'But this one did' Nick nodded towards the crowd 'Whoever did this knew what to do and when to do it, and the fact that it was almost identical to our Henley job, they clearly knew _how_ to do it' Once Nick's words sunk in, Kat's brain began to tick.

'Almost' She whispered.

'What was that?' Nick asked.

'Almost. You said it was _almost_ identical'

'Yeah…'

'Which means that they must have made a mistake somewhere along the line' She said. Nick's eyes widened, slowly understanding what Kat was talking about.

'So if we find the mistake-'

'-Then we find the thief'

During her working day, Amelia rarely answers her phone. If anyone does phone her, the majority of the time they'll reach the blunt and unfriendly answer machine, other times people would have given up and ended the call after several rings. Nick however does not have this problem; Amelia set a different tone especially for her son. Usually he texted her, therefore in the rare occasions that he phoned her, she knew it was serious and urgent.

'What is it, Nick?' She said once she picked up

'Kat needs to speak to you'

Amelia resisted the urge to roll her eyes; _This girl just doesn't quit_.

'Tell Katarina that she needs to step back from an ongoin-'

'-She has an idea about how to catch the thief' Nick said quickly. Amelia's ears pricked up.

'Really?'

'Look, I know you don't want Kat involved, but she's the best person to solve this case...It was her mom's Monet afterall' He added. Amelia sighed, thinking for a moment. It's not that she was opposed to Kat being involved, but Bobby Bishop had come to meet with her in person and begged Amelia not to let Kat get involved and try to put distance between Kat and the case.

'There are factors to consid-'

'She wants to do it _on the record_ ' Nick cut her off once again. Amelia's eyes widened. This was not what she thought she'd hear when her son phoned.

'The fact that Katarina wants to do this _on the record_ should be the very reason why she _shouldn't_ be doing this, Nicholas'

'But-'

'-Think about it Nick!' Amelia hissed 'Katarina Bishop, one of the greatest young talents I've seen in all my years at Interpol, wants to work _with_ the police to find a painting? It doesn't make sense' Amelia shook her head, fully aware that her son wouldn't be able to see her action 'I told her in New York that she wasn't focused and I stand by my words now. Tell Kat to walk away and not look back' She hung up the phone before Nick could respond. Amelia put her hands on either side of her face. This was the last thing she needed to deal with right now. First the missing paintings, and then a determined teenager. Amelia knew what she needed to do. She picked up her phone and dialled a number she knew off by heart.

'Hello?' She asked when it connected 'It's me. I know I shouldn't be ringing you, but it's Katarina...and she's causing trouble'

 **Author's note: Kat's about to cause a whole lot of trouble... Merry Christmas everyone, see you all in 2019! xxx**

 **ALLY CARTER 4 EVER: Glad you're enjoying the story xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

**4 days after the paintings were taken**

 _ **New York, USA**_

'It's me. I know I shouldn't be ringing you, but it's Katarina...and she's causing trouble'

'What sort of trouble?'

'She went back to the Louvre and told my son that she had a plan to catch the thief. Bobby, I know you don't want her to get involved and there's only so much I can do to keep her out of this' Bobby Bishop could hear how desperate Amelia sounded on the other end of the line. He knew that by asking her to keep his daughter away from the investigation, that it put Amelia between a rock and a hard place.

'Is she still in Paris?' He sighed

'My son is with her, he wouldn't let her wonder off alone'

'Good' Bobby scratched his stubbly chin thinking about what to do next.

'You are aware that there _is_ a way to make sure Katarina stays out of this for a little while' There was something in Amelia's voice that grabbed his attention and caused his heart to race.

'Oh?'

'It's not ideal and it certainly isn't what I want, but if it keeps her safe, then it may be the only option'

'What are you suggesting?' Bobby waited. Amelia took a deep breath.

'We arrest her' This wasn't the words he expected to come out of Agent Amelia's mouth, but part of him agreed with the idea.

'It won't be practical for long' He said 'Once Hale finds out about this, he'd hire a lawyer and post her bail before the ink even dried on the arrest warrant'

'That's precisely my thoughts. I would only use it as a last resort. But from what I've witnessed recently, Katarina is getting distracted and sloppy.'

'Leave it to me' He sighed. 'I'll talk to Eddie about it, see what he suggests'

'I'll let you know if anything changes' And with that, Amelia hung up. Bobby sat there for a moment thinking about how only a few short years ago, Amelia was the one chasing him, and now somehow they've both ended up with mutual interests.

'I heard my name' Eddie shuffling into the kitchen brought Bobby back to the present 'It's good to see you Robert' He said

'Likewise Eddie' Bobby replied

'Who were you on the phone to?' Eddie poured himself a fresh cup of coffee 'And why was my name brought up into all of this?'

'It was Amelia, from Interpol'

'Ah' Eddie took a sip of his drink 'Has she any news of the painting?' Bobby shook his head.

'She had news about Kat though, and how she's been...snooping around'

'You can't blame the girl, she's lost one of the only mementoes she had of her mother in a way that she understands more than many' He took another sip of his drink 'Katarina knows that these weren't just plucked out of thin air; but there was planning, research, surveillance and eventual execution of the plan. And the fact that they did it a style of a job Kat created herself' Eddie shook his head 'I dread to think about what's going on inside her head'

'What am I meant to do though? Clearly the person doing this wanted to grab her attention and now she's going on a wild goose chase trying to place everything together!'

'If you believe that it's a _wild goose chase_ , then why aren't you, _her father_ , trying to knock some sense into her?' Eddie raised his eyebrow at one of the few outsiders he's allowed to sit round his table and make this house their home. 'You know deep down that what Katarina is doing is exactly what you _wish_ you were doing'

'I don't want to get her hopes up and then it leads to a dead end'

'It won't' Eddie said plainly 'There is a thief out there who took the paintings. As long as they're around and the paintings aren't destroyed, then there will never be a dead end' Eddie took another long sip of his drink 'What you should really be wondering, is how did Romani get those police reports? I take it your friend Amelia did not mention any missing reports?'

'No, she didn't' Bobby muttered, his brain beginning to function properly again.

'Then I suggest you find out'

 _ **Paris, France**_

Kat knew that her time alone with Nick was running out. She continuously looked at her surroundings making sure she didn't bump into any member of her family.

'You really are jumpy, aren't you?' Nick teased

'My family believe that I shouldn't trust you' Kat admitted. Nick stopped in the street causing Kat to have to turn around and face him.

'Why?' He asked

'They think you're double crossing me'

'How?' He pulled his brows together

'Apparently you and your mom know more about the case than you're telling us'

'I don't know anything!' He exclaimed 'I know less than you do, Kat! You have to believe me'

'I do. That's why I'm here' She smiled at her friend. She then turned around and kept walking. Nick caught up with her quite quickly.

'Does Hale trust me? Does Gabby? What about Simon?'

'Why does it matter?' She raised her eyebrow at him. Nick shrugged

'I knew we didn't get off to the best of starts, but I've helped you since then. I would have hoped that I'd have gained your trust by now'

'I do trust you' Kat told him 'It's just that how the Henley job was done is known by a few people in my inner circle'

'There are a lot of ways people find out about jobs' He shrugged 'I heard about you through my mom, she found out about you through investigating your father and through the grapevine at work. It's an endless cycle of _he said she said_ '

'Someone told Interpol about me' The words slipped out of Kat's mouth before she could stop them. Nick once again stopped in the street.

'How did you find that out?' He asked. Kat remained silent 'Kat, how did you find that out? Did my mom tell you?' He stepped closer to her. 'There's more to your visit isn't there?'

'I need to speak to your mom, Nick. I need to speak to her now'

 **Author's note: See you next time xxx**

 **ALLY CARTER 4 EVER: Thanks! xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

_**4 days after the paintings were taken**_

 _ **Paris, France**_

When Nick lead Katarina into his apartment that he shared with his mother, he felt nervous. This was the first girl who he'd brought home with him, but this wasn't a special or romantic moment, this was a moment full of questions.

'Make yourself comfortable' He gestured to the olive sofa that had a cream throw over the back of it. Kat sat down and looked around; there were files piled high on the desk, paper spewing in every direction. There was also some photos and books dotted about the place. Some of the furniture didn't match and Kat knew that was because they moved a lot, she was used to that too. But looking around her right now, Kat didn't see an apartment of an Interpol agent and her son; she saw a home.

'She'll be home soon' Nick dumped his bag on the floor

'I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Nick'

'Don't worry' He waved it away 'When mom told me that it was _your_ Monet that got stolen, I couldn't believe it! How does someone steal from a thief?'

'The same way anyone steals from anyone' Kat sighed 'Right from under their nose'

'Are you worried?' Nick asked. Kat looked at him

'About…?'

'You mentioned that Interpol knows about you, are you worried about what might happen?'

'That's why I'm here' Kat admitted 'Somebody who knows a lot about me has been talking and Interpol might become suspicious'

'And then they'll have to ask you questions' Nick added. Kat nodded

'Which will more than likely lead to questions as to why _you_ were at the Henley _and_ why you're here in Paris' Kat wasn't accusing Nick of anything, it was just something she'd thought about carefully. 'It's a thread that someone's bound to pull and-'

'-and if they keep pulling, then our families are most likely going to get involved' Nick sighed

'And everything about us will be unravelled' Kat finished for him. They sat in silence for a while, then there was the scrape of a key in the lock. Kat and Nick sat up sharply. Agent Amelia strode into the room confidently, placed her bags on the table without even looking at her son or their guest.

'Hi, mom' Nick said. Amelia spun around, folded her arms and stared at Kat.

'I thought I made it perfectly clear that you needed to stay away' She snapped. Kat gritted her teeth

'And I thought you would know me better than that' She retorted

'Katarina, it is important to this investigation that you _stay away_ '

'I have the Henley files' When the words left Kat's mouth, the air changed. Nick and Amelia stared at her in disbelief. Kat pulled the Henley files and the Louvre files out of her bag and placed them on the coffee table

'Where did you get these?' Amelia whispered

'Romani' Kat answered

'How did _he_ get them?' Nick asked. Kat folded her arms

'If I knew him, then I would have asked, but I don't; he left them in my _locked_ hotel room. He said that he didn't do it and these would get me prepared'

'Prepared for what?' Nick asked. Kat shrugged, she looked past him to his mother

'I was hoping you could help'

'How?' Amelia asked

'Well, you can see that the reports are _almost_ identical, which means that they must have made a mistake somewhere. I have a plan to catch them'

'Nick has already told me that you want to do this in cooperation with Interpol, but you must understand that by working with us, you have to tell us _everything._ Therefore you incriminate yourself and your family' Amelia glanced down at the reports 'Are you seriously willing to sacrifice your life and your family's over a painting?'

'It was my mom's' Kat said, deep down hoping that it would explain everything. Amelia sighed and sat next to Kat on the sofa. Kat watched as she stripped away her outer agent exterior and sat next to her as a mother and a friend.

'The person who took the painting meant for this to be a personal attack' She said slowly, allowing Kat to absorb her words 'If you go off looking, it's almost certain that you'll be led directly to where _they_ want you to be. By Romani giving you the files, it's caused your brain to go into overdrive and be fuelled by emotions; when deep down you know that you need to step away from this'

'Would you have wanted me to step away when you came to my house asking for help with the Magi Miracle Network?' Kat felt the tears in the very back of her eyes. Amelia sighed

'That was different'

'No it wasn't!' Kat exclaimed 'You wanted my help and I gave it to you. I put every ounce of my efforts into helping you then and now when I need help, you're telling me to _step away_?' Kat was disgusted. She couldn't feel more betrayed if she tried.

'If you don't, I'll arrest you' Just like that Amelia's kind, caring, motherly mask was replaced by the stoney agent. Kat chuckled despite nothing being funny.

'Well then, guess you'll have to catch me first' She grabbed her bag and headed to the door

'Kat, wait!' Nick tried to stop her, his hand landed on her shoulder as she left the apartment. 'She's right, you're not thinking properly' Kat turned to face him, staring into his eyes

'I've been truthful with you since day one and I want you to be truthful now'

'Okay' He sighed

'If you were me, what would you do?'

'Kat-'

'Answer me, please' She begged. Nick cursed under his breath

'I would do anything to get my painting back, and then make sure the person who took it paid'

Kat smiled widely, she got on tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

'That's exactly what I'm going to do' She told him

'Even though my mom will arrest you if you're caught?'

' _If_ I get caught...only _if_ '

 **Author's note: Hope you enjoy this chapter. See you next time xxx**

 **GallagherGirlsEmbassyRowFan: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! There'll be more chapters coming up soon xxx**


	11. Chapter 11

_**4 days after the paintings were taken**_

 _ **Paris, France**_

Nick had walked Kat back to her hotel making sure that she got there safely, he knew that if anything happened to Kat whilst she was here, then the whole of the Bishop family would rain down on him with hellfire.

'Do you promise that whatever you're up to, that you'll involve me?' He asked. Kat sighed

'Nick, you heard your mom, if you join me then you'll be incriminating yourself _and_ her' She tried to shut her door 'Go home Nick, and stay home'

'You should be taking your own advice' He muttered as the door shut closely in his face. Nick cursed silently, he knew that Kat was treading on dangerous water and shouldn't be left alone, but he also knew that her actions were fuelled by emotions and he could see the cracks beginning to show. Nick made his way out of the hotel and onto the Parisian street. He took a deep breath allowing the cold air to clear his head. He walked for a little while, glad for all the shadows.

'Hello Nickie' A delicate female voice pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see Gabrielle leaning against the lamp post.

'What are you doing in Paris, Gabrielle?' He asked. She sighed and pushed off the lamp post.

'Oh you know, the usual; shopping, meeting some boys, looking for something to steal' She stepped closer and placed her hand on his chest. 'Like you' She smiled at him

'M...me?' He stuttered

'We needed to find you before kitty Kat does'

'You're too late for that' He removed her hand 'Kat's been here all day'

'What?' She snapped 'And you didn't think about calling us?'

'From what I heard, you don't trust me' He narrowed his eyes

'Let's focus on Kat right now, we can talk about our problems at a later date'

'Kat isn't herself right now' He told her 'You know she has files of the Henley job _and_ what happened at the Louvre?'

'Yeah, she showed us' She shrugged

'Did you tell you that she's got a plan?' He asked

'It wouldn't surprise me, Kat always has something up her sleeve'

'Did you know that she wants to do it _on record_ as in working with Interpol?'

Gabby's eyes widened. No, she had not known this. She didn't know what terrified her more, the fact that Kat wanted to go on record _or_ the fact that Kat hadn't told her.

'Where is she?' Gabby asked 'I need to stop her before she does something stupid'

'Her hotel is a couple of blocks that way' He pointed to the path that he last came down

'Let's go then' She grabbed his hand and they both hurried back to her hotel room.

...

'Kat' Nick banged on her door. There was no response.

'KAT!' Gabby joined in. Still no answer. 'Fuck' Gabby muttered, she knelt down and used two small bobby pins to unlock the door. When they entered the room, there was nothing out of place. The room looked as though it was never even slept in. The windows were shut.

'She's not here' Nick said

'But she was' Gabby pointed to a piece of paper on the bed. She moved over and picked it up. 'Oh my god' She whispered

'What?' Nick asked. Gabby passed him the piece of paper. Nick studied the words;

 _Borrowing Katarina to converse. Will return soon. AT._

'Who's AT?' Nick asked, he glanced back to see Gabby already dialling a number into her phone and walking towards the door.

'A problem' Gabby said 'A very big problem' She placed the phone next to her ear.

'It's me. We need to gather everyone. Yep, it's another family meeting'

...

When Kat closed the door on Nick, she hadn't expected two very strong men to be waiting for her. She tried not to scream; in fact, she couldn't scream because one of their hands was planted over her mouth.

'Don't even think about screaming'

'Mmmmmmmmm' Kat muttered against his hand. He removed it slowly. Kat folded her arms.

'Who sent you here?' She asked

'Artuto Taccone' Kat froze at the name, her nerves were wired.

'That's impressive for a guy in jail' She muttered. The two men shared a look. Kat knew what it meant. 'He's not in jail' She stated.

'It's best if you come with us' One of them said

'Fine' Kat muttered. 'Let me just change my clothes a-'

'No. You're coming now' They ordered. Kat knew that she had no other choice. It wouldn't have surprised her if they opened the door and he was standing in the corridor waiting. Sadly, he wasn't. She followed one of the men down the corridor whilst the other man followed behind. Their shoes squeaked on the floor, they haven't been worn in a while.

'How did you get into my hotel room?' She partly wanted to fill the silence, however, she mainly wanted to have a little leverage, something that she could hold on to.

'The windows were still locked and, no offence, but you two aren't the size to slip through. Nor do I think that a standard grappling hook and rope would support your weights' She glanced back, the face behind her remained neutral. 'Did you pick the lock?' She guessed.

'No' The guy in front of her pushed the button to call the elevator 'Reception gave us a key'

'Well, that's boring' Kat folded her arms and leant back on the wall 'Did one of you at least distract the receptionist whilst the other swiped the card?'

The two men shared an amused look.

'So you both are all business and no fun?' She raised an eyebrow. They shared a look again. Kat suppressed a smirk. 'Good to know'

The average speed that an elevator goes up is usually between 10 to 20 metres per second, whereas on the way down, it remains at 10 metres per second. This might appear to be the most useless fact in the world, however, in Kat's world, it was very useful (especially when you need to reach a ventilation shaft before you get crushed by a moving elevator).

Kat counted the seconds in her head (50 to be exact) before the elevator doors into the lobby. She began to move towards the front door

'This way' She turned to see them heading towards the rear of the building.

'He was _released_ from jail, wasn't he?' She asked. One of them twitched. Kat almost felt her heart skip a beat 'He escaped?' Despite the fact that the lobby was desolate, Kat found herself whispering.

'This way...please' They ushered. Kat followed, her interest peaking. She turned her collar up on her jacket and moved her hair in front of her face. She knew that there were security camera plastered everywhere if Taccone escaped, then Interpol would be trying to find him, and if they found her, then they'd link them both to the Henley. Kat could only deal with one problem at a time.

When they reached the alleyway, there was a limo already waiting. Kat wanted to smirk at how familiar this scene was. One of the men opened the door and held it open. She took one last look at her surroundings before sliding into the car.

When the door shut, she was plunged into darkness. Part of her hoped that the lights would come on to reveal Hale and her family laughing hysterically at how scared she had been. All hope of that disappeared with two simple words.

'Hello, Katarina'

 **Author's note: See you all next time xxx**

 **ALLY CARTER 4 EVER: Kat's not thinking normally, she might be able to escape, but at what cost? Hale will be back soon, I promise xxx**


	12. Chapter 12

_**4 days after the paintings were taken**_

 _ **Paris, France**_

When Artuto Taccone first approached the young Katarina Bishop to get his paintings back, he knew that she'd get the job done, it was her father on the line. He didn't, however, predict that she would double cross him and set him up as prey to Interpol. Whilst he was in custody, he spent a large proportion of time replaying the events over and over again in his head wondering where he went wrong; how did a girl like Katarina outsmart a guy like him?

He realised the answer as time went on, the more newspaper headlines about robberies from around the world, the more he had admired her. A young girl who wanted to restore the balance of ownership and give back to those who had lost. The modern-day Robin Hood in converse.

Now that she was in his car, it felt as though time hadn't passed at all. He could tell that she was still one of the most cunning individuals he had ever met.

'Hello, Katarina' He said, her name curling on his tongue 'It's been a while'

'It has' She replied. 'How was jail?' She asked. Taccone chuckled.

'Grey' He replied bleakly.

'Good to know' she said with no care at all.

'You're probably wondering why we are both here?'

'Jey, you know that thought never occurred to me when your goons showed up in my room' The sarcasm dripped from her voice.

'I've heard about the stolen Monet being very valuable to you-'

'From who?' Kat cut him off

'Whispers' He waved it way 'I'm not as connected to the world - _our_ world - as I used to be. Not many people want to deal with me anymore'

'Shame. You should have thought about that before you tried to blackmail me'

Taccone leant forward and pressed a button to illuminate the cabin. Kat had her arms folded and a decidedly pissed off look on her face.

'You haven't changed one bit' He marvelled. She rolled her eyes

'What do you know about the Monet?' She asked

'It's not in Paris anymore'

'How do you know this?' She sat forward

'Whispers' He repeated 'There are many people talking, a large proportion don't know what they are talking about, and the rest is just hearsay. Believe what you want, but your painting is no longer in this country'

'Do you know who stole it?' She sat forward

'I don't know for certain, but there was a name brought up that might interest you' He produced a folded piece of paper. Kat looked at it, her eyes widened.

'How did y-'

' _Whispers_ ' He emphasised 'I had a lot of time to think'. She glanced back at Taccone folding her arms and crossed her legs.

'What's your price?' She asked. Nothing in this world was free, there was always a price to pay. Like the time she broke into a house to steal a painting and ended up leaving with a boy. Taccone smiled at her cunningness. She was just as good as he remembered.

'Would it be so hard to believe that I was giving you this out of good will?' He asked rhetorically

'Yes,' Kat said plainly. Taccone shrugged

'I have my freedom now' He waved his hand as if it was no issue 'I do not want to go back to jail, therefore, I do not want attention drawn to me'

'Why should I trust you?' Kat sat forward, her emotions p

'Because I have nothing else to lose. Whereas you my dear, have everything'

When W. W. Hale the fifth climbed through a window chasing a girl he'd just met, he never expected his life to turn out the way it has now. For starters, he never truly experienced what a tight-knit family was until he met Kat's. They were truly a cut above the rest. Which meant that when one member started tethering on the edge, the rest were there to catch them. Hale knew of other times when the family has banded together to help one another after the death of Kat's mother, however, he had never experienced _just_ how connected this thieving family was until today.

'You're telling me that Artuto Taccone is out of jail _and_ has my daughter?' Bobby Bishop's voice boomed through the phone. Despite him being on the other side of the Atlantic, his words cut through everyone in the room.

'There is no record of him being released _nor_ is there a record of him escaping' Simon filled in, he scanned the data spreadsheet in front of him, a virtual footprint of Taccone's life. 'He just seemed to have vanished'

'He can't of just vanished if he managed to find Kat!' Hamish said

' _And_ he found her before we did' Angus added.

'Kat's made it easy for him' Nick had sat in the corner observing the family dynamic from afar. Once he spoke, the whole room shifted to glare at him. He shrugged but also wished that he kept his mouth shut.

'You can't deny it, she's been sloppy for a while'

'You have no ri-' Gabby began

'It's true' Bobby sighed. Everyone turned from starting at Nick to staring at the phone. 'Kat isn't thinking properly'

'So what do we do?' Simon asked. The question hung in the air. No one knew how to answer it.

'We wait' Eddie's voice slid through the room. His voice echoed through the phone. 'We wait for Katarina to come to us'

'How are you so sure that she'll come to us?' Hale spoke for the first time. He was still trying to process what was going on

'She'll come back' Eddie seemed so sure. Everyone in this room could imagine Eddie on the other side of the Atlantic pottering about in his kitchen making another homemade concoction waiting for us all to come home.

'How can you be so sure?' Hale asked.

'She's family. She'll come back'

Hale knew that not everything a thief said could be trusted; but at that moment, Hale chose to take Eddie at his word.

Kat climbed out of Taccone's car with new information weighing heavily on her heart. Artuto had offered to take her back to her hotel, but Kat refused, she decided that the fresh air would be better for her. She stood on the Pont Neuf bridge with the Eiffel Tower glittering in the distance.

She leant against the edge and sighed deeply as millions of thoughts swam through her head. She closed her eyes for a moment allowing the air to whip around her, scratching at her face. _This is too hard_ Kat thought. _I can't do this...I need my mom_. Kat opened her eyes and blinked several times to stop tears from forming.

She knew what she had to do. She pulled out her phone and dialled.

'Kat?' As soon as she heard Hale's voice, she felt her heart crack and tears falling 'Kat are you there?'

'Hale…' Her voice broke

'Where are you? Are you hurt? Where's Taccone?'

'Hale, I need to go away for a while'

'No. No, you aren't. Whatever Taccone's got you to do, you don't have to do it alone'

'I'm going to see a man about a painting' She was convincing herself that everything was okay, that she was doing the right thing.

'Kat, we're in Paris' He said urgently. Kat froze. They'd found her...but they'd found her too late.

'That doesn't change anything'

'Where are you?' He asked 'Please tell me where you are'

'I'm on the Port Neuf bridge. By the time you get here, I won't be'

'Kat-'

'I just need some time on my own, Hale' Kat snapped, her whole body shaking 'I'll let you know when I need you'

'Ka-' Hale was cut off when Kat ended the call abruptly. She sighed out a shaky breath, lifting a hand to her moist face to wipe away her tears. Her phone rung again and it was her dad this time. She accepted the call.

'You need to trust me' She said immediately, not giving time for greetings.

'I was just calling you to tell you to be careful, Kat.' Bobby spoke in a soft tone, one he's used with Kat several times in her life. Times when she was making wrong decisions for the right reasons.

'I will' She said

'Tell our friend that I said _hello_ ' Kat smiled, her father was and still is one of the smartest thieves that she knew.

'I will do' She replied.

'You know who has taken the painting, don't you?' He asked. Kat sighed knowing that once she said the name out loud, everything would change.

'Love you, Dad' She said instead, and quickly ended the call.


	13. Chapter 13

_**5 days after the paintings were taken**_

 _ **Warsaw, Poland**_

Abiram Stein was not unaccustomed to teenagers arriving on his doorstep. Usually, they came when the sun was up and the whole town was awake. There was one teenager in particular that Stein had come to associate with in the lonely hours of the night. Stein had just settled in for the night when there was a sharp tap on his door. Begrudgingly he got up, wrapped his dishevelled burgundy robe around him and scurried to the door. He glanced through the spyhole quickly just to make sure he was letting in the correct person, then he opened the door.

'I wasn't expecting you for another three weeks' He said

'I'm here on a different matter' Kat replied. Abiram Stein had known Kat's mother Nadia for a very long time and subsequently Kat for her entire life. He knew with a glance when she was angry or sad or happy. He glanced down at Kat's attire. The fact that she had one small bag and a bunch of papers in her hands spoke volumes.

'Come in' He opened the door wider, Kat was gracious to get out of the cold. 'I take it that you are here concerning Nadia's missing Monet?' He moved past the piles of books and papers into his kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee for them both

'That and Artuto Taccone' Kat sat down on one of the armchairs. Stein turned back to study her; he saw that her posture was slightly ridged and that she continually fumbled with her fingers. Not to mention that within this light, he could tell that she'd been crying. 'He gave me the name of a thief'

'If that is true, then why are you bringing it to me?'

'Because of the name' She removed the folded piece of paper that had been burning a hole in her pocket for the entirety of the plane journey. Stein took the piece of paper and studied it closely. His eyes widened when he read the name printed in black ink.

'Oh' He said

'My thoughts exactly' Kat sank back further into the chair. She realised that she hadn't slept properly for days and exhaustion was slowly creeping up on her.

'What did this cost you?' He waved the paper 'Taccone wouldn't just _give_ you this without wanting something in return'

'Nothing' Kat said Stein raised his eyebrow. 'I know' Kat rolled her eyes 'I didn't believe him either, but he gave me that and then sent me on my merry way'

'In a way, I can understand. Once you've lost your livelihood, it's harder to build it back up again' He sighed like a man who knew far too well. He made the coffee and passed Kat a mug. 'Why have you come to me about this and not discussed it with your family?' He asked. Kat took a sip of her drink, allowing the hot liquid to seep through her.

'Once I tell them about who might have taken the painting, _everything_ changes' She stared at her cup

'I know' He sighed

'Do you know where he is?' Kat looked up at him. The sudden question threw Stein off guard.

'No' He gritted his teeth

'Seriously?' Kat didn't believe him. Stein slammed his cup on the table causing a few droplets to fly out and hit the table

'I do not know where he is. Nor do I care'

'Abiram, please' Kat begged

'He walked- no, he was _pushed_ from this life a long time ago, Katarina. If you go searching, then prepare for a storm'

'He's back' She said. Stein held his mug in both hands, staring into the liquid

'If he is...then Nadia's Monet was just the beginning'

 _ **Berlin, Germany**_

There was no reason for Katarina to be in Berlin, apart from the fact that she was just hungry; and there is nowhere better to have an authentic pretzel than in Germany. Kat, like most people, uses food for comfort after a difficult experience. She'd managed to sleep a little on the journey here and then slept for a few more hours in a quaint bed & breakfast where the owner accepted cash and didn't ask for names.

Now, being well rested and having a full stomach, the realisation that Kat had screwed up _big time_ was beginning to dawn on her. She's lost her mother's painting, she argued with her family, she kept secrets and she'd left; resulting in her being alone. Kat stared at the Brandenburg Gate, marvelling at the history in front of her. She sighed; _If only Hale were here_.

A heavy feeling grew in the pit of her stomach, which had nothing to do with the food. She spent the last 24 hours clearing her head, and now was the time for her to get back to reality. She pulled out her phone before she could dial, a shadow fell over her. Katarina looked up to see the raven-haired boy from the Henley...the boy who looked like he won.

'Hello, Katarina' He smiled

'Um...hi' She muttered. The boy spun around to look at the Brandenburg Gate as if he was waiting for it to tumble.

'You're extremely hard to track down' He said.

'Thanks...I guess' Kat studied his side profile. He had a sharp angular jaw with stubble beginning to grow. His hair was curly and came down to the nape of his neck. At this distance, she could see that his hazel eyes had the flex of yellow in them that stood out against the rest of his features. He was so familiar, Kat could see his face but couldn't place him. Kat could not honestly say if he was handsome or not, she hadn't really had time to notice the male species as anything other than a target...that was until Hale.

'Who are you?' She asked. The boy chuckled, glancing back at her.

'You'll just have to find out' He winked. Kat suppressed the urge to roll her eyes

'Why were you at the Henley?' She asked

'Why were _you_ at the Henley?' He raised his eyebrow. Kat scoffed.

'You know what, I don't have time for this' Kat began to move away

'You want to find Anton, don't you?' He called, Kat froze. There it was, the name that had been haunting Kat since Taccone gave her that note. Anton was the name of someone who shouldn't be around. Someone who should have stayed in the hole that he was put in.

'How do yo-' Kat spun around, but the raven-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. Kat looked around to no avail. She reached for her phone again and dialled Hale's number.

'Hale? How quickly can you get to Berlin?'


	14. Chapter 14

Immediately upon receiving the panicked call from Kat, Hale had told Marcus to redirect the flight bound back to New York to Berlin.

'Why are we going to Berlin?' Gabby asked

'Kat called. She sounded scared'

'Why would she be in Berlin though?' Simon wondered 'She has no ties to there'

'Unless she went to visit our dear friend Abiram Stein in Poland first' Gabby added

'Let me get this straight' Angus began. He leaned forward gesturing profusely with his hands 'Kat went to Paris to see Agent Amelia, then she met up with Taccone and immediately disappeared. A day later, Hale gets a call from her in Germany, and you think she stopped off in Poland in between?' He raised his eyebrow.

'She's racking in the air miles, that's for sure' Hamish joked.

'Whatever reason Kat had to do it alone, it doesn't matter as much. She needs us now, that's what we need to be focussing on' Hale poured himself another glass of whiskey. Gabby scrunched up her nose

'Shouldn't you take your time with the drink? Remember what happened at the Hale Industries function?' She reminded him. Hale studied his tumbler glass before placing it back on the table.

'Alright, you win'

'Good' Gabby crossed her legs and sat back 'I like to win'

'Do you think that we should tell Uncle Eddie? Or Bobby?' Simon looked at all of them in turn

'I think we should' Hamish said

'Ditto' Angus agreed

'Gabby?' Simon raised his eyebrow at her

'I think we should wait until we find Kat and have _some_ idea of what is going on' She flicked her hair over her shoulder. 'Kat needs us and if we ambush her with everyone, then she might run again'

'Agreed' Hale said, sitting back and mirroring Gabby's posture. 'Let's catch ourselves a Kat'

...

Kat sat in a cafe close to the Brandenburg Gate. She willed herself not to stray far for two reasons; firstly because she didn't know where to go, and secondly because Kat knew that if she left, she might never stop moving. Therefore she found a vacant seat, ordered a hot chocolate and waited. She did not know how far away Hale was or whether he'd be with her today or tomorrow, all Kat knew was that she shouldn't be alone anymore.

To distract herself, Kat decided to people watch. It was one of her favourite things to do when she needed to relax; sit back and watch the world go by.

There were tourists everywhere, of course, there would be, this was a very popular destination. Kat mentally kicked herself for coming here alone; much like what happened in New York, Katarina was surrounded by cameras and hadn't given one thought to conceal her identity. Sighing she checked her reflection in the shop window, adjusting her clothes accordingly.

The waitress approached her table.

'Excuse me' She said in a heavy German accent. 'A boy wanted me to give this to you' She passed Kat a white envelope.

'What did he look like?' She asked casually, despite her heart and brain hammering inside her. The waitress scrunched up her face as she thought.

'Tall. He had dark hair. Blue, blue eyes' Kat could have sworn that she swooned a little 'Is there anything else you need?'

'No' Kat shook her head 'Everything's fine, thank you' The waitress nodded and disappeared to help someone else. When Kat was sure she was alone, she opened the envelope and tipped the content out. Kat was surprised when she studied the photograph that laid inside, she'd seen it a few times. At one point it was on the sideboard in Eddie's kitchen, then it was turned around, then removed completely and never put back.

It was an old photo about 20-25 years ago, before Kat's mom and dad were together. When her mom, Nadia was around her age. The photo showed a bench in Central Park, and on top of the bench sat Nadia, her sister Irina, and their brother Anton.

Kat sighed deeply as she studied the grinning boy with his arms around his two sisters. At that point in time, he was a sweet and innocent boy...no one knew back then that he'd eventually betray the family, and break Eddie's heart in the process.

Kat flipped the photo over, hoping that there would be a message. But there wasn't. It was just the photo, and with that was all the answers that Kat needed. The painting wasn't just stolen by a master thief, it was stolen by family...which in Kat's world could only equate to one thing... _revenge_.


	15. Chapter 15

Although Kat had promised herself that she would stay in one place, the picture sent to her was terrifying. When Artuto Taccone handed her the piece of paper with her uncle's name on, she thought it had to be a mistake, a horrible, terrible mistake. Yet, receiving this picture seemed to be confirmation that despite everything, her uncle was not the man she once knew.

Kat found herself pacing in her hotel room, biting her nails and thinking about what to do.

There was a rasp at the door which made Kat jump. She stared at it for a while, not sure who was on the other side.

'Kat?' Hale's voice came through the door 'Kat are you in there?'

'H..hold on' She called called back. The family picture was laying on her bed, exposed for all to see. Kat leapt over and shoved it into one of her jacket pockets. She then straightened her clothes and made her way to the door. Hale was leaning against the doorframe as if he was picking her up for a date. A smile graced his lips.

'Hey' he said.

'Hey' She sighed

'Are you going to invite me in or…' He teased. Kat nodded and opened the door wider.

'Where are the others?' She asked.

'They're in their hotel rooms' Hale examined the room 'I thought that it would be easier to talk to me than be bombarded by them'

'Thanks' Kat muttered.

'So' Hale sat down on her bed 'What made you finally decide that you couldn't do this on your own?'

'I know who stole the painting'

'You do?' His eyes widened. Kat nodded. 'Well that's brilliant! Surely we can do something, perhaps let Agent Amelia deal with this'

'No' She snapped 'It's a family matter'

'What do you mean?' Hale asked. Kat chewed the inside of her mouth, this wasn't going to be easy to explain to someone who wasn't a blood relative. Kat grabbed her jacket and slipped the picture out. She handed it to Hale.

'Who are these three?' He asked

'Gabby's mom, my mom...and my Uncle Anton' She admitted. Hale snapped his head up.

'Uncle?'

'Yeah' Kat wrapped her arms around her 'Mom and Irina had a brother'

'Why did I not know this?' He asked. Kat shrugged

'Anton betrayed the family a long time ago. Eddie forbid any of us from mentioning him' She studied the picture again 'Honestly, I thought he was dead'

'But he's not, clearly he's not if you have this' Hale stood up, a thought struck him 'Did he give this to you? Is that why you called us?'

'No...and yes' She shook her head 'He didn't give it to me, but someone who _knows_ me did. There was this boy that I saw at the Henley for a brief moment, I didn't think too much about it at the time; and then he was here, in Berlin, acting mysterious and not giving me any answers, only this'

'Is he an accomplace or-'

'I don't know, Hale!' Kat snapped

'What do you know then? Because you wouldn't be telling me this unless it scared you' Hale waited for her response. Kat opened her mouth and closed it. A tiny slither of worry crept into Hale's mind. 'Why are you scared Kat?' His voice was soft, caring. 'What did your uncle do?'

Kat bit her lip.

'I don't know the whole story. Only Eddie does'

'So we go and talk to Eddie then' Hale made his way to the door

'Hale, wait' Kat grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop 'Once the family gets involved, you will have to walk away'

'Why?' He furrowed his brows. Kat took a deep breath

'Because the family made a pact that next time we see Anton...we bury him'

...

A bonus about traveling with Hale was his private jet. There was no queueing, no annoying person behind you kicking your chair. Just smooth flying. It was somewhere over the Atlantic when Kat decided to tell her closest family the truth.

'That's impossible!' Angus said

'Theoretically, it's not impossible due to the fact that he was never dead in the first place' Simon pushed his glasses up the rim of his nose.

'Have you told Uncle Eddie?' Hamish asked. Kat shook her head

'I haven't told anyone outside this group' She said

'You know _he_ will have to go' Angus tilted his head towards Hale

' _He_ has ears, thank you very much' Hale retorted. Angus held his hands up.

'Sorry, mate, just the family orders'

'Surely I've proven myself to be a member of the family!' Hale said,

'Unless she's got a ring, you ain't getting in' Hamish pointed between Kat and Hale. Hale shrugged

'I could always redirect the flight to Vegas' He teased. Kat glared

'This isn't a joking matter' Gabby spoke for the first time since Kat broke the news. The normally vocal and visible Gabby, was wrapped up in her chair, her arms wound around her. Her expression, unreadable. Gabby turned to Kat.

'Are you sure about this?' She asked.

'Positive' Kat replied 'Taconne gave me his name, then this mysterious boy finds me and gives me this picture which I thought was _buried_ ' Kat shook her head 'If this is all a game then it's a sick, sick joke'

'What if it is a game?' Hale suggested 'What if Romani or Taconne are doing it to trick you? What about Maggie? She tricked you once, what's to say she won't trick you again?'

'Maggie's in jail' Simon said 'I know that for a fact'

'Did you speak to Stein?' Gabby asked. Gabby's attention was focused on her cousin. It was as if everyone else on the plane weren't even there.

'I did' Kat said

'What does he make of all of this?' She raised her eyebrow. Kat cast her eyes downwards towards her hands and feet.

'He said that if Anton _is_ back; then the Monet was just the beginning' She told her cousin

'Does Stein know where Anton is?' Simon asked. Kat shook her head.

'Why would Stein know where Anton could be?' Hale asked. Kat and her family looked at each other, a silent conversation passing through.

'We can't say' All of them said at the same time. Hale furrowed his brows but didn't push the subject any further.

Kat hated that she couldn't tell Hale the whole truth, but Kat herself wasn't completely certain of the 'truth' that she had been given by Uncle Eddie was definitely true. Kat had learned from a very young age that there was always another side to every story.

Kat diverted her attention away from her family to the world outside the window. There was not much outside apart from the clouds; Kat found herself drifting into her past, clinging onto the few memories that she had of her uncle Anton.

One vivid memory in her childhood was her uncle escorting Gabby and Kat to the park to play on the swings. The girls proceeded to scream _higher, higher_ wanting to travel up so high that they could stretch out and touch the clouds. Kat could touch the clouds now if she wanted to.

Another memory, not so happy, was one of the many sleepovers Katarina and Gabby had at uncle Eddie's where they were snuggled up into their mother's old beds. Gabby and Kat were meant to be fast asleep when they heard the shouting going on downstairs.

She remembered tiptoeing to the landing to hear better. Herself and Gabby pressing an ear to the staircase for optimal hearing.

'YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!' Eddie shouted. Eddie never shouts.

'I DID THIS TO PROTECT THE FAMILY!' Anton replied

'No!' Irina retorted, tears clinging to her voice 'You did this to protect yourself'

'NADIA WOULD HAVE AGREED!' Anton boomed

'Nadia is dead' Eddie's voice was cold and caused Kat to shiver (even now when she was sitting on the private jet). The next thing that Kat could vividly remember was her father coming through the front door that night. He'd strode into the hallway and shook out his coat from the rain that plagued New York's streets outside. He glanced up the stairs knowing that Kat was up there. He was about to ask why she was awake at this hour when something distracted him.

'What happened to Nadia was not my fault!' Anton said. Kat watched as her father's face morphed into anger and betrayal. He stormed into the kitchen.

'LEAVE' He father barked

'Me? You're the outsider. You aren't family' Anton snapped

'He's more family than you'll ever be' Eddie replied. There was the sound of a chair scuffing the floor. 'I want you to leave my house, and not come back' Eddie's voice was powerful 'This family will turn their backs on you, and if I _dare_ hear that you are back in my city, there has be unspeakable consequences'

'Eddie pl-'

'LEAVE!'

There was silence. Young Kat glanced at her cousin wondering what was going on. The pair looked back down the stairs to see their Uncle Anton grabbing his coat and slamming the door. The girls crept back along the corridor and into their beds.

A few moments later, Bobby entered the room, he sat on the end of Kat's bed and stroked her hair.

'Sorry if they woke you' He said

'Where's Uncle Anton gone?' She asked 'When will he be back?'

Bobby rested his hand on her cheek, his face was unreadable.

'He won't be'


	16. Chapter 16

'Kat' Gabby's voice pulled Kat from her daydream. Kat turned to her cousin realizing that quite a bit of time had passed. Everyone else on the plane was fast asleep, the sky had become an inky blue.

'Do you remember the last time we saw Anton?' She asked. Kat nodded

'We were just kids' Kat sighed. Gabby gave a little shiver.

'I've never seen Eddie so angry before; he _banned_ Anton from his house! Eddie didn't even do that to Charlie when they fell out!'

'Do you know the truth? Kat wondered.

Gabby shook her head. 'Every time I asked Eddie or my mom, they'd skate around the subject. In the end, I just stopped asking'

'I don't know either' Kat glanced out of the window. The image of her uncle sitting on the bench with his arms wrapped protectively around Kat and Gabby's mom was imprinted in her mind. Anton always stood out compared to his sisters; his eyes were striking and bright. Even in the tarnished photograph, his eyes were bright, wild and full of mischief. Very similar to the boy she saw at the Henley, then again in Berlin.

'Oh my God' Kat exclaimed turning back to Gabby.

'What?' She asked. Kat's eyes widened.

'I...I think Anton had a son'

'How do you know?' She asked

'Because the guy I saw at the Henley and in Berlin looks _exactly_ like young uncle Anton. I didn't realize until seeing this photo properly'

'Kat' Gabby leaned across and held her hand 'This is a family issue. Eddie will know what to do'

'I hope you're right' Kat sank back in her seat, the hours of traveling began to take their toll on her. Kat soon drifted off asleep, waking up to the sound of tires scrapping on the ground as they landed back home.

'You okay, Kat?' Hale asked as they made their way across the tarmac. Kat didn't really react, she just kept her focus in front of her.

'I'm fine' She said

'You're lying' He grabbed her arm to stop her moving 'Come on Kitty, tell me the truth' He stared right at her. Kat found it hard to look at him, if she kept staring, she'd tell him the truth.

'Be prepared for Eddie to kick you out of the house' She said instead. Hale grumbled and let her go.

'I thought all the secrets we had were left behind, Kat' He hissed

'If that's the case, then what's your first name?' She folded her arms, glaring at him. Hale opened his mouth and shut it again. 'See?' Kat raised her eyebrow 'We all have secrets, Hale. And _we_ should decide when they come out'

'Not if it puts you in danger' He said. 'Kat, I don't want to lose you over a painting!'

'Then you're in the wrong business' Kat began to walk way

'So what?' Hale called after her 'You'd sell out your friends to get a heist done?' He couldn't believe her; for the last few days, Kat was being herself again, then this morning she's back to putting her walls up around her.

'I did it to Nick at the Henley' Kat quipped back 'Necessary actions take necessary risks'

'Is that what I am to you? A risk?'

'ENOUGH' Gabby snapped, standing in between them on the airstrip 'Both of you will leave this conversation right here' She turned to Hale 'Kat and I have both grown up knowing how important secrets are. We've also both witnessed how destructive secrets can be as well. So leave it' Gabby then turned on her cousin 'Stop trying to protect us, Kat. We're all involved...even Hale. Now, the more we argue, the less time we have to fix this mess. Let's move'

Gabby took control and moved off with an air of confidence, Kat trailed behind her gorgeous cousin feeling like she'd just been told off at school.

The limo ride back through the city was tense, to say the least. Kat decided to ride up front with Marcus, an experience she hadn't had since knowing Hale.

'Can they hear us back there?' Kat asked, glancing at Marcus.

'No, Miss' He replied.

'Good' She sunk into the leather, relaxing.

'I know it is not my place to say anything, but master Hale has very strong feelings towards you' Marcus, the ever silent and reliable, kept his gaze firmly fixed on the road.

'I know' She sighed 'I have strong feelings too'

There was no much said on the matter

'Marcus…' Kat began 'Hale's going to find out things, dangerous things, about my family. I need you to try and keep him away'

'That is quite an impossible task, Miss'

'I don't want Hale to get hurt, and neither do you, but if he follows me, then something will happen. His reputation, skeletons in the closet, _something will come out_.' She shook her head 'I don't want him to be ruined because of me'

'I will try my best, Miss'

'Thank you' Kat smiled, grateful that somebody didn't question her motives.

Eddie's Townhouse came in to view quicker than Kat had wanted. Marcus pulled up and everyone began to disembark, apart from Kat. She sat in the car composing herself.

'Are you alright, Miss?' Marcus looked at her carefully, wondering if she was going to be sick in the car or not.

'Everything's going to change once we walk through that door' She let out a shuddery breath.

'Change can be good, it puts things into perspective' He got out of the car to open her door.

'Thank you, Marcus' Kat smiled

'My pleasure, Miss' Marcus offered his hand to help her out. New York was colder than she had remembered, or that could just be just from the nerves.

'Kat, are you sure about this?' Gabby asked. Kat looked at her cousin but did not answer. She did not know how to answer the question correctly. Was she sure about this? No. Was she going through with it? Absolutely.

Kat climbed the small section of stairs that led to the front door. As always, it opened once she turned the knob. For a house owned by a thief, it was quite easy to gain access to. Kat strode across the threshold followed by the others. There was chatter coming from the kitchen, a low hum of activity. The smell of sourdough and fresh tomato clung to the air.

'You're back' Eddie said, his focus on the stove.

'How was Poland?' Her father asked.

'Good' Kat muttered

'You knew where she was?' Hale quipped, annoyance staining his face. Bobby just shrugged.

'I know my daughter'

'But you didn't think to tell us?' Hale folded his arms. Bobby sat forward, his arms braced on the table.

'I know my daughter' Although they were the same words, this time they cut through with a deeper meaning.

'Do you know who took the painting?' Bobby diverted the conversation. Everyone turned to look at Kat, who was staring at the oak table.

'I do' She muttered

'Well, who is it?' Her father asked. Kat glanced up, her eyes connected with his for a moment before she looked away.

'Eddie, you need to sit down' Kat said. Up until this point, Eddie had been facing the stove, his attention solely on the next homely meal he'd make. Eddie looked back at her, unsure if she was serious or not.

'What is it?' He asked. Kat slipped a hand into her pocket, produced the photograph and placed it on the table. Eddie looked at the paper and then back at Kat. She bit her lip. Eddie shuffled forward, picking the picture up in shaky hands, and turned it over. Kat watched as the color drained from his face.

'No' He shook his head 'This isn't possible'

'Eddie, I'm so sorry' Kat said. She tried to reach for him but he jerked back. She could see the panic rising.

'Edward' Bobby stood up, reaching for the old man as well. But it was too late. Eddie collapsed on the kitchen floor, gasping for breath.

'CALL 911!'


	17. Chapter 17

Kat remembered the last time she was in the hospital. It was a horrible experience. She generally avoided being near them at all costs. They were too bright, too clean and too easy to be seen. Today, she had no choice. In fact, she welcomed the hospital with it's bright walls, it's cleanliness and for the ability to be seen.

Kat sat in a plastic chair, surrounded by her family, all of them waiting for any news.

'Stop tapping your foot' Gabby hissed at her cousin.

'Sorry' Kat tried to still her twitching leg

'I'm sorry too, I shouldn't of snapped' Gabby rested her head on Kat's shoulder 'It's just that last time we were here...well...you know' Kat did know. She knew extremely well. So clearly that she was sure that she could still hear the screams.

Kat didn't feel comfortable, sitting here and waiting, knowing that at any moment, bad news could storm through the doors.

'Here' Kat glanced up to see Hale offering her a cup of steaming liquid. 'It's hot chocolate. From the vending machine. I know it's not the your favourite authentic Aztec blend that you love but-'

'Thanks' Kat cut off his rambling, accepting the cup. The paper cup burnt her hands and the hot liquid scorched her throat. Kat didn't complain though. She was grateful for the distraction. A few moments later, Simon, Hamish & Angus came through the double doors.

'Are there any updates?' Angus asked

'They're running tests on him' Gabby informed

'What kind of tests?' Hamish asked

'He most likely suffered from a heart attack so they'll be running the test fo-'

'Simon, stop' Hale hissed.

'Sorry' Simon muttered 'its my default to ramble when I'm worried'

Everyone descended into silence. We were all worried, we call feared the worst, and all of us could not imagine what we would do if the worst actually happened.

It was the arrival of Irina bursting through the doors, her long coat blowing behind her, that pulled us all out of our thoughts.

'Me amores' Irina spread her arms open wide, engulphing both Gabby and Kat. 'What happened?' She asked. Gabby glanced at Kat quickly.

'Aunt Irina…' Kat began, not quite sure where to start. _Hey Aunt Irina, your supposedly dead brother is actually alive, and he was the one who stole your actual dead sister's valuable painting. Oh and when I told Eddie, he had a heart attack. How was your trip?_

Before Kat could say anything, Bobby entered from the other door, the door that said _NO ENTRY. AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY_

'Irina! Thank goodness you're here. They need Eddie's medical history and information. There's only so much I know. I need your help'

'Yes of course' Irina nodded. She then turned back to the girls. 'Are you girls alright?' She checked us both over.

'We're fine, mom. Go help uncle Bobby' Gabby squeezed her mom's hand. Irina cupped one of their cheeks with each hand.

'I love you girls' she kissed their foreheads then disappeared through the forbidden doors.

'Something's wrong' Gabby & Kat said simultaneously

'How do you know?' Hamish asked

'Last time Irina kissed our foreheads and caressed our cheeks was the day Nadia died' Gabby was numb, as if each word was attached to a painful memory...which it was.

'I'm going for a walk' Kat put her barely drunk paper cup on the small coffee table in the centre of the room.

'I'll come with you' Hale grabbed his coat from the back of his chair. Kat wanted to object, she wanted to be left alone, but she knew that with recent events, being alone was not a good idea.

The pair walked in silence, Kat dictating where they went and Hale willingly following. Kat took them out of the hospital, she walked along the street for several blocks until she came to a little artisan cafe. She pushed open the door becoming absorbed by the smell of freshly ground coffee and freshly baked bread.

Kat strode right up to the counter.

'Hi' she smiled at the girl behind the counter. 'Could I have a large Hot Chocolate with cream and Marshmallows please and...ohhhh I think I'll have the salted caramel cookie' Kat glanced at Hale behind her 'do you want anything?' She asked. Hale just stared back at her, not sure how to deal with the situation.

'He'll have an cappuccino please. Oh, if fact can we get a box of 12 cookies'

'Certainly miss' The worker said. Kat paid, thanked the woman and tucked herself into the corner. Hale, confused, sat opposite her. When the food arrived, Kat dived into her hot chocolate, swirling her spoon around and eating scoops of cream. She looked over the rim of the mug to see Hale watching her curiously. She shrugged.

'You were right. The machine hot chocolate was not my favourite. I needed something good'

'So is this your favourite?' Hale raised an eyebrow.

'Not even close' Kat shook her head. 'But is better than most'

Hale and Kat descended into silence as they drank. There wasn't much to talk about and Kat was grateful for the opportunity to just sit and stop.

'I've been here before' Kat began 'the day my mom died. I was distraught, crying my eyes out and screaming. The hospital staff asked for me to leave, said that I was upsetting other patients. Dad didn't want to leave, he didn't want to accept that she was gone. Eddie took my hand and led me here. He bought me a hot chocolate and a salted caramel cookie. When I stopped crying, he told me that he took my mom here when she was younger. She'd just had an operation on her arm and Eddie took her because she was brave. She had the hot chocolate and salted caramel cookie too'

'Kat' Hale reached across and caught a tear Kat hadn't realised fell. 'I'm so sorry'

'He can't die, Hale' Kat whimpered, her tears and sobs now coming in floods. Hale scooted round and engulphed Kat in his arms, blocking her tears from people around.

When Kat and Hale arrived back at the hospital shortly after, everyone was still in their original positions. Kat placed the cookies on the table. Gabby (who had her head on Simon's Shoulder) sat up sharply.

'Are they?' She asked. Kat nodded. 'And You?' Kat nodded 'Does he?' Kat nodded. Gabby opened her mouth to say something else but thought better of it. She slumped back in her seat. 'Thanks Kitty'

'Is there any news?' Hale asked

'Bobby came in and asked us whether Eddie was born before, during or after the Second World War' Hamish said

'Then we had to try and remember his birthday' Angus rolled his eyes.

'Long story short, we don't _actually_ know what the complete truth is. We've tried to call Charlie but he's not picking up' Gabby said.

'Maybe it's one of those weird twin things and Charlie's had one too' One of the Banshaw brothers said.

'I highly doubt that' Simon adjusted his glasses on his nose.

'I'm just trying to lighten the mood' Was the reply

'Guys, an we just drop it, please?' Hale draped his arm across Kat's shoulders, pulling slightly so she could sink into his arms.

'All we can do is wait' Kat said 'and pray'


End file.
